The Magicians on Syfy

So Syfy aired a "sneak peek" at their upcoming series The Magicians. It's based on a novel by Lev Grossman. Here's a quick synopsis: After being recruited to a secretive academy, a group of students discover that the magic they read about as children is very real and more dangerous than they ever imagined. But will getting hooked on the thrill of magic distract them from honing their powers when they need them most?

I saw a preview a while ago and it peaked my interest. I was told that it's Harry Potter for adults so I figured it was right up my alley. Well after watching episode one, it might be to adult for me. Anyways I'm getting ahead of myself.. I watched S1 Ep1 "Unauthorized Magic" A smart, geeky and socially awkward young man is amazed to realize that Magic he's so passionate about is actually real, when he's unexpectedly invited to attend a college of magic in New York.

Pilots are always tough as they have to introduce us to the main characters as well as the world they are living in. That's a tall order especially for a series like this where the world is so large and complex. But I have to say they did a nice job and explaining things. I felt like I understood this world instantly. It might help that I really love wizards and witches and such and this world is very similar to all the others. What I didn't like where some of the characters, I know it's only the first episode but honesty I only cared about the main guy (thankfully). A few of the other characters were okay and some were just horrible. I'm hoping within in time I'll grow to love the ones I like and tolerate the ones I dislike, who knows maybe I'm not suppose to like them. Anyways the other thing that I disliked about this take on magic is that magic is like a drug, when they are using it as though they are high. I liked all the different clicks of magic users, it shows a wide range of different types of magic. The special effects were fantastic and the acting was good. If they pull back on the Magic is a Drug theme I think I can really get into this series.

Only downside to watching this a month before it premieres in January is that episode one ended on a cliffhanger.. now I must wait until January 25th to watch the conclusion (luckily the are showing episode 1 and 2 that night). So stay tuned for further reviews.